Sunday, June 9, 2024

Then Jesus went home.  That’s how our Gospel reading begins. After hearing from the Gospel of John throughout the Easter season we are back in the Gospel of Mark – which moves fast. It’s chapter 3 and Jesus has already been proclaimed the Messiah, baptized and prevailed over temptation; Jesus has healed those with physical and mental health conditions, preached to crowds with authority, sparred with the Scribes and Pharisees over the meaning of scripture and called his disciples, including Judas, who Mark reveals will betray Jesus.

 That’s a lot. And so, perhaps it is not surprising that he goes home. Going home – there is something comforting about “going home.” As

poet Robert Frost wrote, “Home is the place where, when you have to go there, they have to take you in.”  But…. home is not always as welcoming as we might imagine it will be.

 Jesus goes home – but the crowd follows and so many people – people who are hurting, people who are seeking God, people with all kinds of needs are jam packed inside this house so tightly that there is no room to even raise your hand to your mouth – sounds like a rock concert.

 But not everyone is there to hear the music. Mary and the rest of Jesus family are not sitting with Jesus – instead they are listening to the authorities and “people.”  And the rumors they hear are not good. “People” are telling them Jesus is acting like a madman. Naturally, his family is concerned.

 The Gospel of Mark often inserts one story inside another – the fancy term for this is “intercalating” – which basically means intertwining two seemingly unrelated stories – but which, when seen together – help to shine a light and explain one another. So, we take a pause from the family scene in which Mary and the rest of the family are seeking an intervention for Jesus and listen to Jesus’ words to the scribes and Pharisees who have called Jesus, “Beelzebul” which means, literally,
“Lord of the flies” and declare that Jesus is Satan – and it is by Satan’s power that Jesus is casting out demons.

 So, setting aside the family crisis for a moment, let us look at what Jesus is saying. Jesus is speaking to the scribes who are trying to silence him. But Jesus will not be silenced. Instead, Jesus refutes their accusation by speaking in parables, saying, a kingdom, a house – divided against itself – cannot stand – and neither can Satan, the forces of evil. So clearly, Jesus, in casting out demons, is the one binding up Satan, the strong man, so that Satan’s house will fail.

 And then, still speaking in parables and apocalyptically, Jesus accuses the scribes of committing the unforgiveable sin, blaspheming against the Holy Spirit. These are scary words – which Mark does not explain but it basically means that those who identify Jesus as Satan cannot receive forgiveness because if they identify Jesus as Satan, the evil one, they would not be willing to receive forgiveness from Jesus.1 

 Jesus is busy doing his Father’s business – and will not be delayed.  So, when his family comes – notice that they are outside the house, not inside listening to Jesus’ words, they call on Jesus to come out. This is not just an invitation – hey Jesus, we miss you and want to hear about your ministry. No, this is an intervention based on false evidence. In calling Jesus out, they are calling Jesus to stop doing what he is doing – and instead obey the commandment to honor your father and your mother.  But, instead of simply obeying his mother, as they probably assumed that he would, Jesus obeys his Father God. For this is his calling, this is his mission.  

 Jesus then redefines what it means to be “home” and who is his “family.”  Looking at the people who are surrounding him, pressing in against him, yearning for wholeness, healing who are eager to hear the Good News of God, these, Jesus says, are his family. Jesus claims as family not only his biological mother and brother but also, Jesus says, “Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.”

 Whenever you do the will of God, you are acting as Jesus’ brother or sister or mother. So, the question then becomes, how do we act as Jesus’ brother? What choices do we make in our lives to act like Jesus’ sister?

 When I worked at Augustana Lutheran downtown, I worked with a lot of inner city kids who we bussed into Sunday school. Worship was afterwards and sometimes the kids wanted to stay for worship. I was thrilled. I thought that that is exactly were kids belonged on Sunday morning. Except, that their parents were not there. So… they sat with me.

 I don’t know why the kids liked to stay – perhaps they were hungry for the word of God. Perhaps it was better than the alternative of going home. Or maybe they just wanted to stay for the really delicious treats after worship. But whatever the reason, it was my job to manage these previously unchurched kids who were sitting with me. Augustana was an old Swedish congregation with very traditional church values of silence in worship when you were not singing. So, it was a challenge to maintain all of these kids in one or two or three pews all by myself and with the help of my boyfriend.

 As you can imagine, we got a lot of looks whenever the kids got a little noisy or rambunctious – and the people giving the looks weren’t smiling. When some of the church elders started to complain to the pastor and to me, I knew that I had to do something different. But also believed that God was calling these kids to hear God’s word. They belonged in church.

 So, I asked a few people, primarily couples, if they would “adopt” one of the kids as their “Pew Partner.” They agreed. I especially remember Liz and Ken who agreed to take a child.  I gave them “Bobby” – who was one of the biggest instigators of “trouble” in the pew. He was a very wiggly, loud and somewhat naughty boy who was known to write in the hymnals and do other troublesome things. But when he met Liz and Ken, they invited him to sit between them. They mentored him and cared for him and suddenly, he became a stellar example to all of the kids – and probably some of the adults too.

 When someone from the church came and said to me, “I think Bobbie has written graffiti on the church, Liz happened to be standing there and she was quick to say, “Well it couldn’t have been our little “Bobby.”  Bobby had an advocate. And the person backed down.

Liz and Ken made a huge difference in Bobby’s life. And it was just by sitting in church with him, being a mentor to him and treating him as a child of God. This too is what it means to follow God’s will.

 The question becomes, who is God calling you to befriend? How is God calling you to care for the person at your grocery store or a person at the care center who has no friends or the neighbor down the street? How can we do God’s will? That is a question for you – and for me.

 Let us pray: Holy Spirit, open our hearts and our lives to follow God’s will and God’s way. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

ITheologian C. Cliften Black acknowledges that Mark does not explain the unforgivable sin but, his “take” is that:  “Identifying as diabolical the one endowed with God’s holy spirit (Mark1:8, 10) is a peculiar blasphemy, beyond the pale of remission, because one thereby drives oneself away from the true agent of forgiveness.” https://www.workingpreacher.org/commentaries/revised-common-lectionary/ordinary-10-2/commentary-on-mark-320-35-5

Sunday, June 2, 2024

Living into God’s Promises

Awe and wonder.  This is what I feel when I read Psalm 139. This Psalm – which is a poem and the lyrics of many a song – expresses the deep and abiding and unique relationship God has and desires with you and with me and with each one of us. It is a Psalm that speaks to people regardless of your age or situation. Howard Thurman, the great and prolific African American poet, pastor and theologian prayed this psalm, as a prayer, every day of his adult life.  It is a Psalm that we will be singing or chanting or reading every Sunday in June. This is a Psalm to bookmark – in your Bible or on your phone.

So what is it that makes this Psalm so enduring?

 First of all, this is a prayer to God written in the first person. So when you read it or sing it you can claim this Psalm, this song, this poem as your own prayer to God.  

 It begins by acknowledging that God knows you. God knows you from the inside out. God knows ALL about you. There is no place to hide. God’s gaze reaches across the entire universe from the highest heavens to the depths of hell. Darkness is not dark to God. God sees it all. 

God knew you and saw you even when you were in your mother’s womb. For God created you.

This is a Psalm that I learned as a child through a beautifully illustrated storybook that my mother read to me and to my children called, The Runaway Bunny, by Margaret Wise Brown. Maybe some of you have read it too.  In this story, a little bunny threatens to run away from home. But his mother says, “If you run away, I will run after you. For you are my little bunny.”  The little bunny counters by imagining himself as shape- shifting into something else: “You yourself created my inmost parts; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.

“If you run after me,” said the little bunny, “I will become a fish in a trout stream and I will swim away from you.”

But his mother says, “If you become a fish in a trout stream, then I will become a fisherman and I will fish for you.”  Not to be deterred, little bunny then tells his mother he is going to a rock on a mountain, a bird in the sky, a sailboat, and then…a little boy, so that he can swim, fly, or run away from her. 

But the bunny’s mother counters that if he does that, she will become a mountain climber, a tree to nest in, the wind upon the sea, and… if he becomes a little boy, she will become his mother, “to catch you in my arms and hug you.” In the end, the little bunny agrees that he will just be a little bunny and the mother rabbit will be his loving mother.

The Runaway bunny is a sweet story for children of any age.  But it would be a mistake to identify Psalm 139 as a childish Psalm. For as we grow and as we age, like Howard Thurman, we can read this psalm as our prayer too. For when you say this Psalm as a prayer, you are speaking to God saying: “I will thank you because I am marvelously made.”

 This can be hard for us – to say to admit because our culture has a very narrow view of what kind of body is “marvelously made.” We idolize beautiful, thin, athletic and youthful bodies. No matter what our age, it is tempting for us to want to change something about our bodies – we want to lose weight or gain muscle or change something.  And, yet, at the same time, we often neglect to take care of our bodies as a gift from God. Like the runaway bunny, we can become so busy running and doing and comparing ourselves to others, that we forget that God made our bodies beautiful and vulnerable and for relationship with God and with one another.

However, when we read this Psalm as a devotion, as a prayer to God, admitting to God and ourselves that we are “marvelously made” by God who knows us and loves us and who has created us to be mortal… and that this too is good.

 In his second letter to the Corinthians, Paul compares our bodies to “clay jars.” We are marvelously made – AND we are mortal, like a clay jar that is not meant to last forever.  Clay jars were the biblical version of disposable containers. Marble statues were meant to last forever; clay jars are were not. And yet, clay jars, like our containers today, are essential for daily life. We need a container, a vessel to hold the water that we drink and the food that we eat and for so many other essentials. 

 And so, Paul reminds us both that we should not be too proud of ourselves and think, like the little bunny, that we don’t need anyone else nor should we despise our bodies, even though they are vulnerable and subject to becoming broken and cracked like a clay jar. For Paul reminds us that God has given us a great treasure to hold within our vulnerable and mortal bodies.   

Paul also acknowledges that life is not always easy and that by being Christian, we will not be protected from the sufferings that are in this world. However, while “we may be afflicted in every way – we will not be crushed; and while goodness knows we may be perplexed at times and wonder how on earth God is going to prevail over the challenges that we and or the world is facing at this time and although people around us may throw up their hands – we are not to despair. And, even if we are persecuted, we will not be forsaken for God has promised to be with us. And, even if our church attendance dwindles and our community seems distracted by all sorts of other things – we as God’s people will not be destroyed. And although we do not understand how it can be true, God has got this.

 For it is the same God who made heaven and earth and who made your body that, as Paul writes, “shone in our hearts” to reveal to us the mystery of Jesus Christ as the one who died for us so that we, though mortal, may live forever with Christ Jesus.

 In baptism, which Victoria, also known as Tori, will be receiving today, we are adopted into God’s family and made brothers and sisters with Jesus Christ.  Theologically, we proclaim that the power of sin over us has been drowned in the waters of baptism and that we have died with Jesus Christ and that we are reborn as children of God. The treasure that we are given is the gift of promise of Jesus to live in us and to walk with us – forever.  God already knows us – and loves us. But in baptism, we are joined with Jesus Christ in his death so that we may be heirs to the promise of new life in and with Jesus Christ. 

 This is why Paul writes that the life of Jesus may be “made visible in our bodies”(2 Cor. 4: 11). For we ask Jesus to lead and guide us in our living and in our choices so that we can be reflections of the way of Jesus. Paul then writes, “death is at work in us but life in you.” 2 Cor. 4: 12 How can this be? Death is at work in us – we are still mortal – but, by proclaiming Jesus as Lord, we are passing on to others God’s gift of new and renewed life.

 Today, as we witness the baptism of Victoria, we are also reminded of our own baptism and that gift that we too have received from God, the promise of life with God now and forever. And so, brothers and sisters, friends in Christ, it is our challenge, our task, regardless of what else is happening in the world around us, to hold fast to the promises of Jesus which are given FOR YOU.

 One of the ways that Howard Thurman did this – despite the challenges that he experienced as an African American in a time of racial civil unrest– was by meditating and writing his own poetry on Psalm 139. 

Here is one of his poem prayers: Dear God: Search me and know my heart. Try me and know my thoughts. And see if there be any wicked way in me. And lead me in the way everlasting… I will fly in the greatness of God, as the marsh-hen flies, filling all the space between the marsh and the skies. By so many roots as the marsh grass sends in the sod, behold, I will lay me a hold on the greatness of God.2

 Like Howard Thurman and Paul and all the saints who have gone before us, may you too lean into the promises of God, and dare to pray for the presence of God to be the Lord to search and keep you today, tomorrow and always. Thanks be to God. Amen.

 Faith-Lilac Way Lutheran Church + June 2, 2024 + Pastor Pam Stalheim Lane

 1 Margaret Wise Brown, The Runaway Bunny.

2 Thurman, Howard, “Prayers (1962-06-01),” The Howard Thurman Digital Archive, accessed May 30, 2024, https://thurman.pitts.emory.edu/items/show/168.

Sunday, May 26, 2024

Sermon:               Where Have All the Prophets Gone?                       Isaiah 6: 1-6        5/26/2024

The preaching text for today is the call story of the prophet Isaiah.  In this story, Isaiah stands in the outer chambers of God’s heavenly court.  From there he can see God’s robe flowing down from his throne, the air is filled with smoke and the sound of angels singing God’s praises.  Isaiah is terrified, for no one can look upon God and live, so he cries out, “Woe is me, for I have seen the Lord!”  Then, Isaiah says the strangest thing.  “I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips.” 

There is a formula to the call of a prophet.  First, the prophet has an encounter with either God or a messenger from God.  Then the prophet is commissioned to speak God word or do God’s will, to which the prophet almost always objects, claiming unworthiness.  Then the prophet receives reassurance, and there is usually some sort of ritual act that takes place symbolizing the prophet’s role.  So, for instance, when Moses is called, he objects, saying that he is slow of speech.  This is often interpreted as meaning he has some sort of speech impediment, such as the tendency to stutter.  God responds by offering to send Moses’s brother, Aaron, along with him to speak for Moses.  Once Moses stops objecting, then God gives him a staff with which to perform miracles.

Isaiah also objects, with an excuse about his inability, or rather, his unworthiness to speak for God.  Isaiah says he has a filthy mouth.  Then he goes on to say that his people all have filthy mouths, as if to say, “I have a dirty mouth, but then, that should come as no surprise, because all of my people have dirty mouths.  How can I serve you, speak your word, with a dirty, profane mouth?”  He doesn’t just point out his unworthiness, but throws the whole Jewish people under the bus. 

Then comes the shocking part.  How does God reassure Isaiah?  How does he remove the obstacle of Isaiah’s filthy mouth?  He sends an angel, who by the way, is a terrifying sight in itself, to pick up a set of tongs, pluck a burning coal out of the blazing fire that is filling the room with smoke, and touch it to Isaiah’s lips and purify his mouth!  Youch!  Ezekiel is just told to eat a book of God’s words, which he can then simply regurgitate to his people.  And the book tastes sweet.  But not poor Isaiah.  He gets his lips scorched.  It makes me wonder…does he flinch?  Does he lean in and kiss the coal, press his lips against it, or does the angel just jab it into his face, the way you might thrust a branding iron against a cow’s hip? 

Isaiah doesn’t cry out in pain or shock, like you might expect, so obviously, this is only a vision.  Isaiah isn’t really in heaven, looking upon the throne of God.  There is no fiery coal burning his lips, making them sterile.  This isn’t a physical experience, but a spiritual one, more like a dream than like Moses’ real burning bush on the very real mountainside.  But still, what a terrifying image!  You’d think that having a burning coal pressed to your lips would be enough to snap you back to reality, to wake you from a dream in a state of terror.  But it doesn’t.  Instead, Isaiah hears the angel pronounce him clean, forgiven, sinless, purified—his objection obliterated.  Then he hears God’s voice, saying, “Whom shall I send?  Who will go?”  And Isaiah volunteers.

What? After having his lips seared, Isaiah volunteers?  God doesn’t even address him directly.  The text makes it clear he can’t see God’s face, because that would be fatal.  He isn’t even in the same room.   I really makes me wonder how God speaks those words.  What is the tone God uses?  I get the feeling that God says it the way an annoyed judge might say, in an angry and possibly threatening tone, to an attorney who’s been making all sorts of ridiculous, baseless objections in a trial, that have been overruled, “Do you have any more objections?”  I imagine Isaiah’s “Send me,” is less a volunteering and more of a surrender, “No, Sir, Your Majesty.  I’m good.  I got the point.  I’ll do it.”  I wonder if Isaiah is surprised to hear those words come from his own, burning lips?  Would this be your reaction?

In the next few verses, God tells Isaiah that he must prophecy to his people, but not expect them to understand.  His people will not see or hear, or accept his message.  but will harden their hearts, until the cities are destroyed and deserted, and the people taken into captivity.  To top it all off, God will order Isaiah to walk around barefoot and unclothed, preaching, for three whole years.  It’s not clear whether he is even permitted to wear a loincloth!  I wonder if Isaiah knew what he was getting into. I bet he wished he’d asked for a few more details before accepting this call.  Would you volunteer for this job? This wasn’t a high paying position.  There were no benefits: no retirement accounts, no medical or dental insurance, and no vacation time.

The sad truth is that this is what being a prophet was like in the Old Testament.  It was a thankless job, with few, if any perks.  And having a dirty mouth probably came in handy.  Regardless of how hardened a people’s hearts may have been, a prophet’s job, at the outset, was to get the people’s attention, shock them with harsh and terrifying language and bizarre prophetic acts that would, in today’s world, land a person in a rubber room in a psych ward pretty fast.  The main goal was, of course, to get the people to repent, to change their ways, to establish and maintain justice.  Although prophets were occasionally priests, most of them were just ordinary people with extraordinary courage and the gift of vision, and poetry.  They were almost never among the wealthy, the powerful or the political elite.  Amos raised cattle and sycamore trees.  Ezra was a scribe.  Some were women. Some were appointed as advisors to Kings because of their gifts of wisdom and vision.

The job of a prophet was to speak truth, ugly, unpleasant truth, to power.  To call out and expose injustice in a very public way, and demand change—and to do it all poetically.  A prophet was never popular, like Jesus or John the Baptists, although they probably did draw crowds.  But the attention they received from the one’s they were sent to, the rich, powerful, elite—the ruling class—was not that of adoration and welcome, but contempt, anger, threats of violence.  This was a difficult and dangerous job that required total faith and commitment of mind, body and soul.  There was no turning back, and no softening the blow.  The language and the prophecies only escalated in their harshness and the consequences for ignoring the message, for failing to respond with repentance and change of heart and policies, became ever more violent.  Isaiah would not only witness the destruction of the temple and the city, but was ordered by God to go into exile in Babylon with his people, to help them remember who and whose they were and resist become willing participants in an oppressive empire, and to comfort them, reassure them of God’s love and forgiveness, inspiring hope for a future they couldn’t see.

The violence that the Biblical prophets threatened came to them in the form of prophetic visions of the future.  The prophets received these visions, and then had to interpret them.  They did so through their understanding of God and the world.  They believed that God was absolutely in control, and that nothing could happen to the people of Israel, God’s chosen people, unless God ordained it.  So when they saw destruction and death, exile and captivity, they understood that to mean that this was God’s judgment and that God, himself, would carry out the sentence through an agent of God’s choosing.  They attributed the horror as a product of God’s righteous wrath, for there was no arguing that the behaviors and policies that they addressed were clear and flagrant violations of covenant law.  Israel was understood to be God’s child, and according to biblical wisdom, a misbehaving child required discipline, punishment:  spare the rod and spoil the child. 

But I don’t see it that way.  I have knowledge about God that the Old Testament people didn’t have.  I interpret these scriptures through the lens of Christ, the revelation of the character of God in the person of Jesus.  Our God, Israel’s God, is a God of Love, a God who loves the entire cosmos, all people, so much that he chose to come and live among them in flesh and blood, and to lay down his life to ransom them with his own flesh and blood, in order to redeem them and save them from themselves and their proclivity to sin.  My God would never mete out violent punishment on children he loves so much. 

As I see it, the prophets were an expression of God’s love.  They were sent to warn the people that they were headed down a path toward self-destruction, and to convince them in any way possible, to change course, while disaster could still be averted.  God began sending these prophets to Israel and Judea 200 years ahead of their demise—long enough to change their ways and avert the impending disasters, if they had only listened.  People have agency.  Our decisions and our actions have consequences, for us, and for the land and the nations in which we live.  If only the people in power had listened…it didn’t have to happen that way.  God never wanted or intended their destruction, their suffering.  But they didn’t want to hear it.  The wealthy were profiting at the expense of the peasants and the paupers.  They wouldn’t, couldn’t relinquish their wealth and power.

I was told, as a teen, that there are no more prophets—that Jesus was the final word from God, and that there would never be another.  But I didn’t believe it, and don’t believe it now.  Our God, who desires relationship with us so much that he became flesh and dwelt among us, and sent his Spirit to inhabit us and work in us, would never stop trying to communicate with us, trying to prevent our self-destruction. I believe there have always been prophets, and there always will be—we just don’t recognize them or name them as such.  I think Martin Luther was prophet who spoke truth to the corrupt power of the Holy Roman Catholic Church, but we call him a reformer.  They don’t all use the same tactics as the Old Testament prophets, but they still speak unwelcome and unflattering truth to power, and risk their lives doing so.  Some succeed, others die trying.  I could name others:  Ghandi, Nelson Mandella, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcom X, Deitrich Bonhoeffer, Alexei Navalny, just to name a few.  Today we call them protestors, rebels, activists, agitators, among other things.  We seldom recognize them until it’s too late. 

Are there other prophets in our midst today—people who forecast gloom and doom unless we change our ways, people who speak out in poetry, like Wendell Berry?  Musicians or rappers who sharply criticize the status quo? Reporters who reveal truths and atrocities hidden from our view, and call for change?  Environmentalists and Nature Conservationists documenting societies crimes against nature?  Who is speaking truth to power and wealth, and calling for change in order to avert certain disaster approaching from the horizon?  Who should we be listening to?  What will be the consequences if fail to respond to their pleas for repentance, if we don’t change our attitudes, our actions, our laws and policies?  What will it take to avert the disasters they foresee? 

Pentecost Sunday, May 19, 2024

Come Holy Spirit

May 19, 2024       Pentecost Sunday at Faith-Lilac Way Lutheran       Pastor Pam Stalheim Lane

 Come Holy Spirit. Fill the hearts of your faithful

 This is the beginning of the prayer for the gift of the Holy Spirit. But be careful what you ask for. The Holy Spirit – as we heard in the reading from Acts – can come with a violent rush of wind. On a hot summer day, we bless the breeze that comes off the lake or the trees. But a rush of wind can easily get out of control – think hurricanes and tornados. The word for “Wind” is “Pnuema” – which also means Spirit.  So the Spirit blew in with a violent rush. Are you ready for that? 

 Maybe? Maybe not. But maybe the Holy Spirit doesn’t want to wait. So… Come Holy Spirit. Fill the hearts of your faithful until there is no room for anything else. Come Holy Spirit.

 Come Holy Spirit and fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in us the fire of your love.

 The Wind/ Spirit is not all that came that day. Fire came too – a fire that did not consume. But it still burned hot – with the fire of God’s love. And with that Wind/Spirit and the fire of God’s love came the WORD. But this time, the WORD did not simply become flesh and move into the neighborhood” as the message Bible translates the first verse of John’s Gospel. Instead, the Holy Spirit became like a Google language translator making people able to hear the Word of God in their own language. Somehow, miraculously, “all of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues.”

 Learning a new language is not easy. When I went to Germany, I decided it would be good to learn a few words so I could say something to the people there. I wasn’t very diligent in my studies – but another member of my group spoke quite well so I didn’t worry too much about it. But when we were in Wittenberg, we got split up on a bus. I was wanting to connect with the locals and so I tried to say a couple of words in German to the older lady sitting next to me. I found out later that I was speaking to her in a mix of bad German, Spanish, and English and did it all with a Norwegian accent.  But it didn’t seem to phase her. She was so insistent about telling me something about the church, Christ chapel. But I didn’t understand her. I found out later that it was closing in half an hour for construction work and wouldn’t be open the rest of the week. She tried – and I missed it. I guess we will just have to go back! 

 For those of you who have tried a foreign language, you know that it is not easy – unless perhaps you grew up bilingual or learned the second language as a child. But in the book of Acts, these were adults speaking a foreign language fluently – and proclaiming God’s word. Just the ability to speak the language was a miracle. But the Holy Spirit wasn’t done. Instead the Holy Spirit was kindling a fire of understanding by having people speak in the native tongue of all the people there – so that no one was left out; everyone could understand. The news of the Good News of Jesus came – not in translation – but in the ordinary words of the people who were there regardless of the language that they spoke, whether they were male or female, whether they were old or young, and regardless of where they were from.

 Come Holy Spirit…Send forth your Spirit and we shall be created, and you shall renew the face of the earth.

 How would the Holy Spirit renew the face of the earth today? Would the Holy Spirit come with wind and fire and disrupt the warring nations? Would the Holy Spirit inspire leaders to speak in the tongue of the one they called “enemy”? Would the Holy Spirit mend the rifts and division in our nation, in our community, in families and neighbors?  How would the Holy Spirit transform and renew you? Would the Holy Spirit fill you with the Holy Spirit’s ability to speak the language of the one that you consider, “other?” Would you even want that? If not, be careful what you pray for.

 O God, who by the light of the Holy Spirit did instruct the hearts of the faithful; grant that by that same Spirit, we may be truly wise and ever enjoy his consolations.  

 Let us pray that God will work through us so that we move beyond the artificial divisions and distinctions that we apply when we call someone “other.” Let us embrace the way of the Holy Spirit which is to show no partiality. Instead, the way of God is to enable the Holy Spirit to reach and bless all people – by empowering you and me to share the Good News of God’s love.  

 Come Holy Spirit, Come – whether we are ready or not. Amen.

Sunday, May 12, 2024

Psalm 23

May 12, 2024 + Faith-Lilac Way Lutheran Church +Pastor Pam Stalheim Lane

 Please turn to the Psalm 23 insert in your bulletin. These beautiful pictures were created by our own Gary Feyen. They are written in the King James version, which may be the most poetic rendition of this Psalm that has ever been translated into English. But it is not always the easiest to apply to our daily lives. Some of you may have memorized this – or another version of the 23rd Psalm – and that is good. If you haven’t, I would suggest that you do – or memorize one of the many songs based on the 23rd Psalm that we are going to be singing today. Because, today I’m going to make the case that while Psalm 23 is often heard as a comforting word at funerals, it was written for the living and is still relevant to our everyday lives.

 So let’s begin with the first line – the first picture in your handout. The Lord is my shepherd. This is a statement of faith by the Psalmist who is claiming that the Lord – GOD – is not just a shepherd taking care of the whole world, but the Lord, God – who is King of heaven and earth – is MY GOD, is MY Shepherd.  The Lord is MY Shepherd. 

 The Psalmist does not have an exclusive claim. These words are meant to be read or rather proclaimed out loud by ALL people.  So, I invite you to claim this relationship and say: The Lord is MY Shepherd. (Say it with me and I really want to hear you claim it as your own so let me hear MY really loudly.) The Lord is MY Shepherd. This is a proclamation of faith.

 It is also a reminder to ourselves that we, like sheep, are vulnerable at times. And, that we can’t be as independent and as self-sufficient as we often would like to believe we are. No one pulls themselves up by their own bootstraps even if they are bound and determined that they can do it by themselves. Imagine a little girl maybe about 2years old who gets her boots stuck in the mud. She tries to pull herself out – but as she tries to lift up one foot, the other gets stuck even further down in the mud. So then she tries to pull that foot out and the other foot goes down deeper. Pretty soon she is up to her knees and she cries out “Daddy! Help ME!”  And of course, her Daddy comes and gets her out of the mud – which is now all over her. Clearly, that little girl needed help - but she’s not the only one.  We all NEED a Daddy or a Mommy to take us out of the mud and muck of life - a helper - also known as shepherd -  one who will love us, care for us, and always be with us – no matter what.

 What we need to do is trust. Trust in the Lord God. This isn’t hard to do when times are good. We can give thanks to God for the blessings and trust that God sent them. Maybe we even think we deserve them. But… when our luck runs out, our situation turns grim, we are betrayed by a job or a spouse or a friend or we make a mistake and betray someone else or something else unexpectedly bad happens - and we find ourselves alone and the pantry bare… in those times it is harder to say, “I shall not want” or “I lack nothing”.

 Remember the Israelites, when they were in the wilderness? They had to trust that God would send enough fresh manna every day. They were warned – don’t try to save any. Don’t hoard it. But to some, this seemed too good to be true. Maybe they thought: what would it hurt to save a little – just in case. But…when they didn’t trust God to do what God promised to do, and they took just a little extra and stored it… they woke up to find foul smelling maggot filled manna stinking up their house.  They learned – the hard way – that they had to trust the Lord to do as he said. As the proverb says, “Trust in the Lord with all of your heart” – all of the time.

 Take a look at the second picture full of greens and blues – God has given to us green pastures – good food and opportunities and still fresh waters with good fishing.  This is what God has provided.

 Unfortunately, we haven’t always taken good care of the gifts God has entrusted to us. Some of the water – like in Michigan and in Lake Elmo and other places – is contaminated by lead or other chemicals. In poor neighborhoods, the fresh vegetables sold in the grocery store don’t look like the kind we enjoy from Byerly’s or Cub Food.

 And yet… even when we as a people mess up our lives and the beautiful world that God created for us, God is still with us, caring for us. Take a look at the next picture, verse 3: The good Shepherd refreshes my soul, and leads me on the right path.  If the Good Shepherd was like an ordinary person, he would be furious. But he’s not. Instead, he continues to refresh, renew and guide us – “for his name’s sake.” In other words, this is who God is, it is God’s character to care for you, no matter what.

 This is why, as it says in the next picture, verse 4, that “yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for thou art with me.” This is the promise of Jesus to you. “I will be with you always.” As it says in Romans, “there is nothing that can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Nothing.

 There are lots of shadows in our world. And at times, the forces of evil seem overwhelming – for example: Russia’s war to take over Ukraine, the Palestinian people caught between the rifles of Hamas and the big guns in Israel, the dictators in so many parts of the world killing or expelling people from their land, forcing them to become refuges in a foreign land. The list goes on… Our world can be a dangerous place where it is hard to trust anyone.

 Yet it is precisely for a time such as this that you need to have verse 5 memorized. Pick your translation. But have this verse in your memory banks  –when – not if – really hard challenges come to you:  “Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear NO evil, for you, God are with me.” God will be with you. No matter what comes.  This assurance of God’s presence with us would be enough – indeed, more than we could dare to ask for. But God gives us more.

 God plans a party – a banquet  - a feast - and invites you and all your enemies. But neither knives nor guns are not drawn, not even forked tongues. Instead, somehow, by God’s grace, all are blessed.  And your cup overflows.

 Again, this would be more than enough. This is enough for you to sing Halleluia! But there is more. Turn to the last picture, verse 6. Surely goodness and mercy/ love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

 In this verse, the Hebrew word “Hesed” is translated as “mercy” in the King James version but the New Revised Version translates the word as “love.” Neither one is wrong. In truth, God’s character encompasses both of these qualities. And, in both of these translations, God’s goodness and love and mercy are described as things that will “follow” you. However, another translation of that verb is: “pursue”. God not only embodies goodness, love and mercy, but God loves you so much that God will pursue you all the days of your life.

 God still gives you freedom. You can say no to God and God’s way. But God still loves you and not only wants to give you mercy. but continues to seek you to grant you grace. This is why you can trust that you have a place in the house of the Lord – forever.

 Brothers and sisters, friends in Christ, this is why I want you to memorize Psalm 23 – and return to it often, because the words of this Psalm can be your words and your prayer. Friends in Christ, may you find God’s pursuit of you to be a blessing and may the words of the Psalm resonate in your heart and in your life.

Sunday, May 5, 2024

Sermon:               1 John 5:1-6 and John 15:9-17    Love According to the Gospel of John

 I love the Gospel of John.  It’s so different from the other three—so full of great stories that stick with you.  And the farewell discourse, the three chapters of Jesus’ final instructions to the disciples before he is arrested and crucified, just makes me feel all warm inside, like I’m curled up in a warm, fuzzy blanket with a cup of hot cocoa, sitting in front of a warm fire.   It’s just so full of love.  And most of the book of First John seems full of echoes of that love.  The unfortunate result, however, is that when I read these scriptures, my head fills up with old Sunday School songs and campfire songs about love that were inspired by these and other, similar texts.  I just keep hearing them, playing in my head, over and over.  Simple, wonderful love songs about God.  It made me wonder, does it do that to you, too?  What songs did you learn that come to mind when you hear these scriptures?  I had at least four different songs in my head, starting with this one:  (sing along if you know it.) “Love, love, love!  That’s what it’s all about.  Since God loves us we love each other, mother, father, sister, brother.  Everybody sing and shout!  ‘Cause that’s what it’s all about. It’s about love, love, love…  Or maybe this one comes to mind:  Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God and everyone that loveth is born of God and knoweth God….  Or this one:  And they’ll know we are Christians by our love, by our love, yes they’ll know we are Christians by our love.    How about this one:  This is my commandment that you love one another that your joy may be full…that your joy may be full…   Are you starting to feel are warm and fuzzy inside yet? 

Yeah…but the problem with this, besides that having all these sweet little songs about love playing in my head is really distracting and makes it hard to concentrate on writing a sermon…is that that’s really not the sort of love these scriptures are talking about.  The love John is talking about isn’t the sort of sappy, sweet, sentimental, mushy, gushy, warm fuzzy sort of lovey-dovey feeling we tend to think of when we hear the word love.  It’s not really an emotional feeling at all.  Feelings can’t just be commanded.   We can hug each other on command.  We might even be able to say the words, “I love you.” on command.  But it’s pretty hard to summon a genuine emotional outpouring of love and affection for someone just because Jesus says, “love one another,” unless the other you’re supposed to love is a close friend or family member. 

Love, in the Gospels, isn’t really an emotion at all.  It’s more of a decision, a choice, a promise.  It’s the way we are supposed to respond to God’s love for us.  Love is the hallmark of the beloved community—but it doesn’t remain locked up inside the community, reserved for community members alone.  Love is who we are and who we choose to be, this day and every day.   Love is characterized by generosity and forgiveness, mercy and compassion, relentless hope and determined optimism, and above all, a constant resistance to our knee-jerk reflex responses to enemies and strangers and our fear of otherness. 

Love demands a cost.  Love demands action on behalf of someone else.  Love is a way of living and being and interacting with the world, and it isn’t automatic or easy.  It isn’t safe, either.  It’s the way of the Good Samaritan.  Love requires forgiveness, patience, tolerance and unselfishness.  Love means putting others first, and making sacrifices.  Love seeks justice and freedom for others.  Love never turns a blind eye or a deaf ear to another’s pain and suffering.  Love recognizes the innate value and belovedness of every living thing, and treats everyone with respect and dignity and compassion, no matter the circumstances.

First John says, “the love of God is this, that we obey his commandments.”  The prophets said that too.  John says that God’s commandments are not burdensome.  John can say that because Jesus simplified the laws, distilling them down to two seemingly simple rules:  Love God above all else, with all your being, and love your neighbor as you love yourself.  The prophets all said, repeatedly in various ways, that the obedience to God’s commandments to love others is the most perfect and most appropriate expression of worship.  In fact, the prophets said that no matter how frequently and arduously we worship and sing God’s praises, our worship is empty, like a lie, unless it is accompanied by acts of love and justice toward our neighbors.  The prophets knew that words are cheap, unless they are followed up with real, concrete actions.  Jesus, himself, said that whatever we do to /for others:  feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, housing the homeless, caring for the sick, visiting the imprisoned, we do to/for him—confirming that obeying the commandment to love our neighbors proves that we love God. 

Love is the way of Jesus…and we know where the way of love led him.  Sometimes love means taking up the cross and following in his Christ’s footsteps up the hill to Golgotha, if need be, for the sake of others.   Love is the most profound and sometimes, the most difficult and dangerous thing we are called to do as disciples of Christ.   Fortunately, we aren’t all called to extreme discipleship like Martin Luther King, Jr., Ita Ford, Sophia Scholl and Dietrich Bonhoeffer. 

For my final project in the Gospel of John course, I had to create some form of artwork based on a portion of the text, which, of course, had to be accompanied by a long paper explaining it.  The art form I chose was, of course, poetry—surprise, surprise.   I’d like to leave you with this excerpt from that poem, entitled, “Do You Love Me?”

For Christ, love is not emotion or attraction

It’s the foundation, the basis, of all interaction.

It’s an attitude of deliberate deference to grace.

Love finds God’s image in each human face.

It’s a choice, a commitment, a lifestyle, a creed.

Love acts on behalf of all others in need.

Love provides aid to the weak and the helpless.

Love is, above all, inherently selfless.

Love demands naught, withholds naught, but graciously gives.

It’s the ethic that defines how disciples must live.

Love acts without weighing or counting the cost.

Love is dangerous.  For Peter, it leads to the cross…

 By the grace of God, may we all develop the strength, the courage and the capacity to love and worship God by loving others in concrete and meaningful ways as true disciples of Christ.  Amen.

Sunday, April 28, 2024

Beloved

April 28, 2024 + Faith-Lilac Way + Pastor Pam Stalheim Lane

Hon. Darl’n. Sweetie. I’m not sure if it is as true now as it used to be, but in the past if you went a small-town diner in the south the waitress might call you “Hon” or “Darl’n.” Or maybe, when you were a child, someone called you “princess” or “champ” or maybe you referred to a little one or a pet with an endearing word? It may have just been a habit in the South, but when said by someone who knows you, and who loves you, these little words are meant to express love and care and are meant to show that you are loved.

 In our Gospel, using metaphor, Jesus says, “I am the Vine” and “You are the Branches.” Jesus knows you and loves you…and calls you “Branches.” It’s not an endearment that often comes to mind. I mean, what comes to mind when you think about vines and branches? I think about an interwoven tangled mess in which one vine overlaps another – and all are dependent upon the one vine that is rooted in the soil.  So when Jesus says, “I AM the Vine.” You Are the Branches, Jesus is describing our relationship. We are dependent upon Jesus for life and for our very being and Jesus depends upon you and me to go out and bear the fruit that God has given us to bear.

 This is why John calls you “Beloved. You are loved by God.  This is the relationship that was claimed for you when you were baptized. You are God’s Beloved child and because of this love which God so freely gives to us through Jesus Christ, we can love others.

And this is what John calls us to do. John writes, “Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God.” This is the life to which you are called. Or as Henri Nouwen writes, “You are invited to live the life of the Beloved.”

This sounds lovely. When I think of the life of the beloved living in community with one another, I think of a community in which people are accepting instead of judging, serving one another instead of demanding what’s theirs; listening to one another instead of shouting down or talking over the other. But how do we do that in our world that is so messed up?  I’ll admit it can be overwhelming to hear the news of wars raging around the world, the horrible way that people are treated and the lack of civility displayed by leaders especially in social media. It is tempting to just shut it all off and ignore the problems of everyone else.

 But when John writes, “Beloved, let us love one another,” I don’t think that he or Jesus is calling us to love only those in this room, and of this room only those who agree with you on everything. You’ll find that group gets really small… really fast. It reminds me of the story of a pastor who, with his wife, broke away from his church because he declared that they were all heretics – and then, looking at his wife, he said, “I’m not sure about you either.”

 When we start isolating ourselves from the problems of the world and community around us, the circle gets small fast. This is not what John had in mind when he wrote, “Beloved, let us love one another.”  And yet, during the pandemic, to keep people healthy, a lot of people ended up isolated. But, as we discovered, isolation isn’t healthy either. 

 Almost a year ago, U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy declared a national epidemic of loneliness and isolation. He wrote, “Our epidemic of loneliness and isolation has been an underappreciated public health crisis that has harmed individual and societal health. Our relationships are a source of healing and well-being hiding in plain sight – one that can help us live healthier, more fulfilled, and more productive lives.”1

 It turns out that loneliness is a problem for children, youth, and adults of all ages and this is not a problem that is happening in some far-off country. This is a problem that is happening in Robbinsdale, Crystal, New Hope, Plymouth, Maple Grove, Brooklyn Center, Brooklyn Park, Osseo, Big Lake, Wayzata, Minneapolis, Golden Valley, or wherever else that you live. This crisis is local. This crisis may be your crisis – but even if it is not – it is your neighbor’s crisis. 

 Nick Tangen, the Minneapolis Area Synod Director of Faith Practices, Neighboring Practices writes that this report ought to “light a fire in the bellies of churches across the country [because]… For generations churches and faith communities of all traditions have been beacons of social connection in the neighborhoods where they gather. It is faith communities who have so often gathered neighbors at the table for a shared meal, celebrated community with block parties, and connected children and youth with summer programming and outdoor ministry. This is an epidemic we are built to address.” 2

 So how do we address this problem that is hiding in plain sight?

Perhaps the first step is to be honest about who we are. We are a community of imperfect people who make mistakes, and this is why we take time to confess our shortcomings, our sins and take time to receive forgiveness and reconciliation. We know that God loves and forgives – every time. No matter what it is that we have said or done. God loves you and forgives you.

I also want this place to be a place where we can be honest about who we are because we know that God loves us whether we are feeling like our best selves or whether we are hurting.

Unfortunately, churches have a reputation of being judging rather than accepting. But we want to change that reputation. God is the judge. We are called to love one another and to make this place a place where all people are welcome, a place where anyone can belong. So come as you are. If you want to wear shorts and sandals – wear shorts and sandals. If you like to dress up – dress up. But don’t do it for me or for other people here. Wear what you want. Be who you are. For that is the person God made you to be.  Again, “You are invited to live the life of the Beloved.”

But if you are wondering Luther’s catechism question, “What does that mean?” or if you are wondering what concrete steps could I take to address the issue of loneliness in myself or in my community, then I have a few ideas to share.

The first comes from the Surgeon General himself. In an interview by professor and religious author Kate Bowler, Dr. Vivek Murthy shared some ideas that his department is challenging people to do. He calls it the 5 by 5 challenge – do 5 actions over the next 5 days. There are only three actions: Express gratitude to someone; or extend support to someone or by ask for help of someone. Those three things – mix them up however you want –but he believes that if you do those three things Express gratitude to someone; or extend support to someone or by ask for help of someone for five days you will not only feel less lonely yourself but that you will help others to feel less lonely.3 Those actions seem pretty simple, right? They also seem very much in line with loving others as Christ loves us.

We as the church know how to do these things – express gratitude, serve the neighbor and invite the neighbor, the other, to help. I would also add, invite someone to share in fellowship with you. For example, invite someone to come to roast a hotdog or share a s’more at the Gathering this summer. Invite someone to Treats and talk or to catch a beverage after church or after work. And then – something that we can do that not everyone does – Pray. Pray for the courage to love your neighbor and then pray for your neighbor too. These are a few of the ways that we can live as the beloved community. Again, as Nouwen says, “You are invited to live the life of the Beloved.” I look forward to living into this beloved community with you and learning with you the unique ways that the Holy Spirit is calling you and us to do this Holy work. Amen.

 1 https://www.hhs.gov/about/news/2023/05/03/new-surgeon-general-advisory-raises-alarm-about-devastating-impact-epidemic-loneliness-isolation-united-states.html

2 Nick Tangen, https://nicholastangen.com/facing-an-epidemic-of-loneliness-in-our-neighborhoods/

3 https://katebowler.com/podcasts/made-to-belong/

Sunday, April 21, 2024

To Serve and Preserve:  A matter of context.

Context matters.  That’s one of those lessons we’re taught in high school English and literature classes.  If you quote a sentence or phrase without considering the context in which it was used, then the intended meaning of that phrase can become skewed, altered, even reversed, or lost completely.  Context is important.  Always.  The surrounding literary content or dialogue is necessary for understanding the meaning or intent of what is spoken or read.  Even changing the position of a phrase within the correct context can sometimes alter- change the way we hear it, and what we think it means.  Context is important.  Always.

Context matters in scripture too.  In my ethics class, my professor told us over and over and over again, that no portion of scripture can be interpreted on its own but must be understood within the context of the entirety of scripture as a congruent whole.  So far as he was concerned, the Bible is not a collection of random books and stories bound together randomly, so that we can study them individually, apart from the whole.  But rather, ethically, and theologically, every piece of scripture, whether a single verse or an entire book, must be interpreted as a part of the greater whole.  

And yet…that’s not what we generally do, even in worship.  We follow a lectionary that suggests small sections from several different parts of scripture, that someone has decided should be read and interpreted together.  But each one is taken out of context.  And sometimes that context matters a very great deal.

For instance, we occasionally read the creation story from genesis 1, and this year we will read a portion of the Genesis 2 creation story, but we never get that in full, and never get both creation stories at the same time.  And there’s a problem with that.  You see, the first creation story ends at verse 3 of Genesis 2, immediately followed by a second creation story.  These stories arose at different times in Israel’s history.  But when the book of Genesis was divided into chapters and verses, someone deliberately decided to make Genesis 1 bleed over into Genesis 2 so that these two creation stories would be read together, because they need to be read together to interpret them properly.  I’m curious, how many of you knew there is a second creation story?

Genesis 1 is beautifully poetic, almost songlike, with the repetitive refrain “and there was evening, and there was morning” for each day.   According to theologian William Brown, Genesis 1 is also a mathematical marvel.  It’s surely the most familiar Biblical creation story.  God creates by simply speaking, and the earth responds, doing all the work.  The order it gives for the creation of the plants and animals is almost scientifically correct, which, of course, I find appealing.  It states that humans are created in the image and likeness of God, and then gives us dominion over everything.  In Genesis 1, God tells us to rule and subdue creation.  Reading Genesis 1, out of context, might allow us to conclude that God created the world just for us, for human use, and gave us permission to dominate and abuse it, to rule or Lord over it like sovereign dictators and tyrants.  And, given the condition of the planet today, and the rate at which plants and animals are going extinct, it seems that this is what we humans have done for the 2000 years since Jesus died and rose again.

But if we don’t stop at the end of Genesis 1, or even at Genesis 2 verse 3, but continue right on into the second, older creation story of Genesis 2, we get a quite different perspective.  We see God as a worker of clay.

In Genesis 2, we learn that humans were formed from the dirt.  In the Hebrew, the relationship between humankind and the soil is much more obvious.  The root of the words is the same.  God formed the adam from the adamah.  In English, we might demonstrate this by saying that we are earthlings formed from the earth, or humans formed from the humus.  Then God plants a garden in Eden and places the human into the garden to care for it.  The NRSV translates the verbs in verse 15 as tend and till, but another, equally valid (and preferable) translation is “to serve and preserve it.”  Compare this to rule and subdue.   Next God creates the land animals, also from the soil, brings them to life, presumably in the very same way, by giving them the breath of life, and offers them to the human as helpers, partners to assist the human in serving and preserving creation.  God invites the human to name them, to bond with them, to form a relationship, a partnership with each of them.  These creatures are not creatures to subdue or to enslave, but fellow creatures, neighbors in the garden—the garden that is a metaphor for the whole earth and all its plant and animal inhabitants.  This second creation story is trying to tell us that we are part of creation, not above it; that we are all connected and interdependent; that what is good for these creatures is good for us; that all of them have a niche to fill, and a role to play;  that they are all as important as we are, and that our ability to survive and thrive is dependent on our ability to serve and preserve the garden and all that live in it. 

Humans are not separate from creation, nor are we above creation.  We are stewards, caretakers, servants given the sacred task of preserving the garden and providing for all its inhabitants. 

Now consider the Gospel reading from John 1.  Everything that was created was created through Jesus, through the entire Triune God.  And what does Jesus teach us?  Jesus tells us that to be the greatest of all requires that we be servants to all.  It means loving our neighbors as much as we love ourselves, and even putting them first.  That includes our fellow creatures and the plants in the garden.  And in John 3:16-17, Jesus tells us that God so loved all of the cosmos, all of creation, so much that he sent Jesus to save it, all of it. Jesus told us to love others as he loves, to serve others as he served us. 

Being made in the image of God doesn’t mean we are different or better than the rest.  It doesn’t mean we are ontologically different or ontologically special.  It doesn’t mean we somehow look like God.  An image is a representation of something else.  Being created in the image and likeness of God means that we are supposed to rule on God’s behalf, to serve and preserve creation as God’s representatives on earth, to manage and maintain the earth according to God’s will and desire.  It means we have a special purpose—to serve and preserve the garden that is earth so that all creation may continue to thrive.  We are the earth-keepers, made from the earth for the purpose of serving and preserving the earth, keeping it healthy and fertile and habitable. 

But we failed because we didn’t interpret Genesis 1 in its full context.  We never considered that the older creation story of Genesis 2 might shed light on Genesis 1, and serve as a corrective for a newer, more mathematical, and more poetic story.  We didn’t consider how the Gospels might affect the way we interpret and understand the creation stories.  Genesis 2 was set aside as a story about the origin of marriage and replaced with Genesis 1, because it gave us Lordship over the planet. 

But now we know better.  What will you do with this new understanding?  Will you choose to embrace it, or discard it?  Will you share it with others?  Will you embrace the role of servant and protecter of the earth?  Will you let it transform you and the way you interact with nature, and change the impact you have on this earth? 

Sunday, April 14, 2024

See the Scars – Hear the Witness

Awe and wonder. Those words can’t even begin to describe how incredibly spine tingly awesome it was to watch the solar eclipse as the moon started to move across the face of the sun. As the moon progressed, it started to get cooler outside - I pulled on my sweatshirt even though I had been in shirtsleeves just moments before. As I and a group of witnesses watched and waited, wearing our safety glasses and peering through telescopes  - a community of sorts formed. Students from the local community college were taking advantage of the crowd to sell home-made cookies as a service project. Locals as well as folks from St. Louis, Chicago, Roseville and other places, traded stories and telescope views.  And then, as the sky got darker, we watched as the horizon –all 360 degrees -- started to turn the pink and orange colors of a sunset – even though the sun was still high in the sky. The birds began to sing their night song. The street lights came on. Our eyes were all glued to the sky as the sunlight began to fade and the moon moved to cover the sun. And then… at precisely 2:04 PM local time, a shout erupted as the moon covered the sun – except for the outside corona. People were on their feet cheering. I had tears in my eyes and my heart was full of praise of God.  It was wonder – FULL. We were witnesses of this beautiful event.

 Jesus could have made a spectacular reentry - with a robe of stars and the sun and moon tucked under each arm. He could have arranged to emerge from an eclipse. That would have been flashy. But instead… Jesus shows up and shows the disciples his scars.

That’s not all Jesus does. Jesus also eats a fish, proving to the disciples that he is not a ghost, does an amazing Bibles study that opens their minds to understand the scriptures, promises the gift of repentance and forgiveness of sins and then declares them to be witnesses.  There is a lot going on in this passage. But what caught my attention this time was that Jesus begins by showing his scars. Jesus doesn’t come back from the dead healed with perfect child-like skin as if he had been to a plastic surgeon. He doesn’t make a flashy entrance. Instead, he comes back and shows his disciples his scars.

Scars tell a story.  Jesus’ scars remind the disciples –and us -- that Jesus was really crucified, was really dead, was really put in a tomb.  The scars are still there. And yet… Jesus is alive. You are my witnesses.

I remember when my kids were little, we stayed overnight at a friend’s house on a New Year’s Eve. In the morning, all the kids went outside to go sledding. They were having a good time. I wasn’t worried at all. Until… one of the older kids rushed in and said, “Your son went over the embankment.” Aghast, I went to put my boots on. But before I could get out the door, in walked my son, his face was full of blood and bleeding profusely.  The other mom – a nurse by trade - gave me some towels and said, “You don’t know where the cut is, so start from the bottom up.”  So, I did. I started at his chin and began sopping up the blood. And as I worked my way up his face, not finding the cut, I found myself praying “thank you God…thank you God”… as I worked up past the lips and nose and then the eyes… I kept praying “thank you God”.  Finally, I reached the hairline… and there was a very small but deep gash. We did take a trip to the emergency room for stiches. It is now only a slight scar – which at times I can see if I look for it. When I see it, I’m reminded that I’m a witness of God’s healing hand.

Do you have a scar? Do you have a story? I do. I’m reminded about it every time I look at my knee. I remember that day I ran across the street without looking for traffic. I also remember, with gratitude, that while the scar is large, I received the gift of healing for my head and my leg and my life.  I’m a witness of God’s healing and God’s grace.

Scars can heal but there is always a story. In fact, I think that no one gets through this life without scars of one kind or another. Sometimes they are the result of what, in retrospect, seems like a stupid thing – like my neglecting to look both ways before crossing a street.  At other times, like my son, they are the result of an accident. No one was to blame.  And sometimes, like for Jesus, the scars tell the story of what someone did to you.  Those are the wounds that can be most painful.

We are a people scarred by life, but, regardless of the source of the pain and the scars, the good news is that Jesus can heal your wounds – regardless of what the wound may be. It’s not magic. It may take time. But Jesus is more than able to heal our wounds.

One of the ways that Jesus heals us is, as he says in today’s Gospel, through repentance and the forgiveness of sins. This is especially true for the wounds that you have received – and inflicted on others  -- by the things that you have done and for the good and right things you have not done. For all of these hurts, Jesus offers repentance and forgiveness. This is Christ’s free gift for you.

After we receive this gift of forgiveness, we are empowered and set free to forgive others who may have hurt us. This is not something that happens automatically or easily. But when we receive the gift of love and forgiveness, it opens our hearts and our lives to share that gift with others. 

Renewed by God’s gift of love and inspired we are able to be a witness to God’s love and then to act as Jesus’ hands and feet, caring for others and loving others, just as we have been loved.

Brothers and sisters, friends in Christ, who are forgiven, renewed and healed, Jesus calls you as a witness to proclaim God’s love and faithfulness. You are a witness of what God has done for you – and for the whole world.  And, because of YOUR witness, others can not only hear the Good News of Jesus but experience it too.  Thanks be to God!

 Faith-Lilac Way  +  April 14, 2024  + Pastor Pam Stalheim Lane

Sunday, April 7, 2024

In today’s gospel, it’s still Easter Sunday, in the evening.  The disciples are all hiding out in a locked room, presumably the same room where they celebrated the Passover meal just a few nights ago, right before Jesus was betrayed, arrested and crucified.  Mary Magdalene had gone to the tomb early that morning, and found it empty, assumed that someone had stolen Jesus’ body, and run to this room in a panic, not knowing what to do.  Peter and the disciple Jesus loved ran back to the tomb with her, and confirmed that it was, indeed, empty.  His body was gone.  Then they went back to that locked room, possibly even more frightened now that Jesus’ body was missing.  The gospel tells us, parenthetically, that “the disciples still didn’t understand that Jesus had to rise from the dead.”

So, Peter and the disciple Jesus loved, both miss seeing the two angels, and Jesus, when he appears to Mary.   But Jesus sends Mary back to the disciples with a message—that he is ascending to God. 

So, why are the disciples still huddling in fear behind locked doors? Surely Mary delivered the message.  Didn’t they listen to Mary?  Didn’t they believe her?  Sadly, they probably didn’t.  In that patriarchal culture, women were not considered trustworthy witnesses.  Women were considered too emotional, too irrational.  And Mary had, only just come running to them, clearly upset, perhaps on the verge of hysterical, because the tomb had been robbed.  (Yes, tomb robbing was a thing, even back then.  And a more rational conclusion about a missing body than was the resurrection story.)  They may well have thought she was simply overcome with grief, maybe to the point of hallucination.  Just as in all the other gospel accounts, the disciples didn’t take Mary’s witness or her message any more seriously than the accounts of the other women who found the tomb empty, except for angels.

The disciples are laying low, because they fear they may be targeted next by the temple authorities, especially now that Jesus’ body has disappeared.  So, they are all hiding behind locked doors—all but Thomas.  We are given no explanation for Thomas’ absence.  The scripture just says that Thomas wasn’t with them.  Where was Thomas?  Had Peter and the gang gotten hungry and sent him out to pick up some Pizza?  Or was he escorting Mary Magdalene home, making sure the poor, hysterical woman got home safe?  Had he decided to go check out the empty tomb for himself, to look for the angels Mary claimed she had talked to, or to ask the cemetery caretaker if he knew anything?    Or had he been sent to do some spying around the temple or the synagogue and find out what people were saying about Jesus?  Did anybody else know his body was missing?  Were they whispering about conspiracy, saying the disciples moved the body?  Maybe he just needed to go for a walk in the fresh evening air and clear his head? 

We don’t know much about Thomas from the gospels, aside from his nickname, the Twin.  He’s pretty quiet.  But we know he is brave, and loyal.  When Jesus announces that he plans to go back to Judea because Lazarus is dead, the other disciples try to talk Jesus out of it, warning Jesus that he will surely be killed.  But Thomas says, “Let’s all go, so that we may die with him.” 

But now, perhaps because he is brave enough to leave that room, he isn’t there when Jesus shows up.  Everyone else is there.  Everyone else sees the wounds in his hands and his side.  Everyone else is given the Holy Spirit.  Everyone else is given the power to forgive sins.  But not brave, loyal Thomas.  Everyone else gets what they need in order to believe, but not Thomas. 

Everybody else says the resurrection is real, because they have seen Jesus for themselves.  But none of them believed a few hours ago, when Mary told them she saw and spoke to Jesus.  Put yourself in Thomas’ shoes.  Would you believe?  Or might you suspect that they’re playing a prank?  Might you wonder what is going on?  What has everybody been eating, or smoking?  Might you check to see how many empty wine flasks are lying around the place? 

Can you imagine the disappointment?  The injustice?  Didn’t Jesus know Thomas wanted, needed to see him too?  No one else believed until they saw Jesus with their own eyes, heard him speak with their own ears.  Is it fair to expect that Thomas would be able to believe without the benefit of a similar experience?  Personally, I sympathize with Thomas.  Honestly, I think we tend to judge Thomas unfairly.  Why should we expect Thomas to believe what the other disciples are now telling him, when they didn’t believe Mary, who told them the same things only a few hours earlier? 

Thomas insists he needs to have a Jesus experience just like the one the other disciples have had in order to believe.  Thomas has the courage to name what he needs in order to believe the impossible.  And Jesus hears him, and shows up for him, albeit, a week later.

Jesus shows up, shows Thomas his wounds, and tells Thomas to touch them with his own hands, which is astonishing, because he told Mary not to touch him.  The text does not say or even suggest that Thomas does touch him.  Just seeing is enough to draw from Thomas the most profound and accurate confession of faith in the gospel.  Thomas says, “My Lord and my God!”  Thomas recognizes that Jesus is God, incarnate in resurrected human flesh, not just the Messiah, or the Son of God.  No one else sees Jesus so clearly. 

Jesus tells Thomas not to doubt, but to have faith, to trust.  The text indicates he is addressing Thomas, but I would argue that he is addressing everyone in that room.  Because none of them believed until they saw with their own eyes.  But I need to clarify something here.  I want to share with you a quote from Craig Koester, one of the leading experts on this gospel.  “Doubt is not the opposite of faith.  Faith incorporates doubt.”  Let me say that again.  “Doubt is not the opposite of faith.  Faith incorporates doubt.”  The truth is, that faith is believing something that is uncertain, unlikely, some might even say, irrational or impossible.  Faith is a choice.  A decision to trust God no matter what, even when it makes you look or sound crazy; even when there is no evidence, no reasonable explanation, just because God is God, and for God, nothing is impossible. 

Doubt is not our enemy.  We all have doubts from time to time.  We all have questions, things in scripture that we wrestle with, struggle with, things that we wonder about.  That doesn’t mean our faith is weak or insufficient.  Faith is about trusting God, in the depths of our hearts, despite our fears and our questions and the reality that we don’t have all the answers and we don’t have facts, measurements or photographic evidence, no proof to back up our beliefs.  If we had no doubts, had no reason to doubt, then it wouldn’t really be faith.  It would be fact.  Doubts exist because, like the disciples, we live in a world that is cerebral, that demands logical thinking, a world that requires proof and scientific data and plausible explanations for everything.  But faith comes from the heart, not the head, and sometimes our hearts and our heads disagree.  It’s natural to doubt things we can’t understand much less see or touch.  But God is beyond understanding, so we trust with our hearts.  In my experience, questioning and wondering about the things that give me pause is healthy and serves to strengthen rather than weaken my faith and my Christian witness.  Having doubts does not mean we lack faith.  It means we long to know more, to be closer to Jesus, to know God more completely.

Thomas had profound faith, despite his doubts.  He had faith enough to trust God to show him what everyone else had seen.  Although we never hear anything more about Thomas in the scriptures, he’s not even mentioned in the book of Act, Thomas’s story doesn’t end here.  Thomas travels by ship to India, shares his faith and starts a church, one of the very first in existence, and it is still thriving today.  Despite all his doubts, Thomas was able to share and witness to his faith in a land with a very different culture and language, where Judaism was unknown, and convince others to believe along with him.  My friend Sinny, a doctor from India, traces her Christian faith all the way back to the Apostle Thomas.  Many believed without seeing, and were, therefore, blessed because of Thomas.  So maybe, being a Doubting Thomas isn’t such a bad thing. 

Easter Sunday, March 31, 2024

Go and Tell

Easter Sunday, March 31, 2024

 “The women fled from the tomb, for terror and amazement had seized them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.”  The end?  Is this the end?  Really?

 The Easter Gospel story that we most often read is from the Gospel of John. You know the story: Mary Magdalene discovers the open tomb and runs to tell the disciples. Peter and an unnamed disciple, probably John, race to the tomb, see the graveclothes and then go home, not knowing what to think. But Mary stays in the garden by the tomb crying. When Jesus asks her why she is weeping, she mistakes the risen Christ for a gardener. But when Jesus calls her by name, she recognizes him. Jesus then tells her to go to the disciples and share the good news. The Gospels of Matthew and Luke have slightly different accounts, but all of the Gospels report one or more interactions with the risen Jesus. Except Mark. The Gospel of Mark officially ends with an empty tomb, a man in a white robe and women who are so frightened that they won’t say anything to anyone.  

 I say officially, because scholars all agree that the last words that Mark wrote in his Gospel are the ones we read today. There are “alternative endings” that were likely provided by scribes who took it upon themselves to “fix” the problem of the ending - probably because they simply could not stand the non-ending of Mark’s gospel. But the style and the substance of these “endings” don’t fit with the rest of Mark’s writings and scholars agree that the alternative endings were simply borrowed from the other Gospels to make Mark’s ending feel more complete.  

 So, the question remains: why would Mark choose to end his Gospel with the words: “they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.”  It isn’t because Mark doesn’t believe. Mark begins the Gospel with a profound statement of faith: “The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.”  It’s a strong beginning – so why the odd ending?

 I heard a story the other day about a composer, Franz Liszt. He was a prolific composer–but he found he could not go to sleep until the musical piece that he was working on was just right. When at last he was done, he would fall asleep in the middle of the night or the wee hours of the morning and then sleep late, sometimes even into the afternoon. This drove his wife crazy. It was hard for her to run the house and manage the children and do her work when he was sleeping. She desperately wanted to find a way to help him work “normal hours” like everyone else.  But nothing seemed to help. They set alarms – he slept right through them. She let the children run through the house and play loud games – he was oblivious. She had them bang on the pipes - nothing seemed to disturb her husband’s sleep.

 One day as she was carrying a load of laundry through the living room, she noticed his piano with his latest completed composition was sitting on top of it. Suddenly, she had an idea. She set down her laundry and went over to the piano, sat down on the bench and began to play - loudly. She played and played until she was nearing the end… and then just before she got to the last note… she stopped.  She pushed the piano bench back and then innocently returned to doing her laundry. A few minutes later, Franz rushed in and went over to the piano, sat down on the piano bench and played the last note.

 After that, every morning, Franz’ wife would play one of her husband’s pieces all the way through – except for the last note 1 and that would wake her husband up enough to play that note – and to be on time for breakfast with the family.

 We can smile at Franz Liszt’s clever wife, but don’t we all crave resolution, completion, and to have the end of the story make sense?2 Personally I can’t stand it when a show that I am watching ends the season with a cliff-hanger. And I don’t think it is just me and composers. If you don’t believe me, try singing the first line of our opening hymn – but leaving off the last note. “Jesus Christ is Risen today, A a a a le a lu u”   Isn’t that frustrating? There is something in us that needs closure, that needs to resolve the last note.  

 And maybe Mark knew that. When you read a good book, and you come to the end of the story, you close the cover and put it on a shelf. It is done. But, like the composer who had to get up to play the last note of his song, Mark wants you to know that the story of Jesus is not done…

And unlike the composition … there are many more notes to play.

 Again, the first verse of Mark’s Gospel says: “The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.”  Mark, our shortest Gospel, is not an all-inclusive story of the life of Jesus. Instead, Mark is telling us that this is just the beginning of the Good News of Jesus Christ, Son of God.1 The story isn’t over. It isn’t over after the resurrected Jesus meets Mary Magdalene and the disciples. And it isn’t over when Jesus ascends to heaven. And it isn’t over now. God’s story, the Good News Story of Jesus Christ is still active and is ongoing even today.

 I once heard the Gospel of Mark recited from beginning to end… and when the preacher got to the end of our Gospel for today, he turned to the crowd and said… ‘Who will tell the story?”

 The women at the tomb were afraid… but somebody talked. Somebody told the story… otherwise we wouldn’t be here. Just as the last note must be added to the song, so the story of Jesus, the story of God’s great love must be told – for it is God’s story. And it is GOOD News.

 Brothers and sisters, friends in Christ, like Paul, you are invited to help share the Good News of Jesus Christ with other people – just as it has been shared with you. For that’s how the story is shared… I heard the story from my grandmother who heard it from her father who heard it from his friend who heard it from… and so it is, as Paul passed the Good News on to the Corinthians and they passed it on to their children and to their neighbors, so we, with joy and gladness can tell the story of the Good News of Jesus Christ, God’s son and our Savior.  Maybe you tell it to your children or children’s children. Or maybe you invite a friend to an event at church.

 Who will tell the story? We can tell the story. Brothers and sisters, friends in Christ, another way you can tell the story is through singing God’s song. We just can’t sing Jesus Christ is Risen today without the full Alleluia. So - sing it with me:  Jesus Christ is Risen Today, Alleluia! Go and share the good news. Amen.

 Faith-Lilac Way Lutheran Church + Pastor Pam Stalheim Lane

 Endnotes

 1https://asermonforeverysunday.com/sermons/c18-easter-sunday-year-c/ Amy Butler 2016

2 https://asermonforeverysunday.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Jim-Somerville-Easter-4-4-2021.pdf

3 David Lose in the Meantime 2020 https://www.davidlose.net/2020/11/advent-2-b-beginnings/

Maundy Thursday, March 28, 2024

Maundy Thursday Reflections

Footwashing:

The church is supposed to be a counter-cultural community.  We are to live in the world, but not be of the world, which means we are to live differently, by a different set of values than the rest of the word, as part of the right side-up Kingdom of God in an upside-down world.  This is a difficult thing to do.  It requires commitment, not just to God, but to one another—a commitment of love and support and encouragement.  We are more than a community.  We are an extended family of God, a family in which we are all equals, all loved and valued, and all servants of one another. 

Washing each other’s hands (or feet) is a concrete and intimate act of humility and love meant to bind us together, to strengthen our sense of community and family, to create a sense of communal love and support that we need in order to be church.  It is a reminder that we are all washed clean in baptism, that we are all forgiven in Christ. 

This is how we care for each other, support each other, strengthen and sustain each other in doing God’s work and following in the footsteps of Jesus.  We serve one another in love, and in doing so, we are transformed by that act of love, so that we are able to serve God and our neighbors in the outside world with the same lovingkindness.  Above all, we do it because Jesus said we should do this for each other.

Holy Communion:

Communion is a community meal.  In this meal, we not only remember Jesus—we encounter Jesus.  He is our host, and our sustenance.   Jesus is present in the words we say, the same words he spoke two thousand years ago when he first hosted this meal.  He is physically present in, with and through the wine and the bread.  He is present as the Holy Spirit that strengthens and sustains us for service in the outside world.  It is through the grace of Jesus that we receive forgiveness and mercy at this table, just as he promised.

But this meal is also a counter-cultural experience.  Everyone is welcome at this table: young and old, male and female, rich and poor, sinner and saint, the powerful and the powerless, slave and free, the just and the unjust, the faithful and the betrayer.  At Christ’s table, we are all equals, and we are all treated exactly the same.  We all kneel, side by side, at one table.  We all receive the same portions from the same loaf of bread, the same bottle of wine.  We all receive the same gifts of grace, forgiveness and mercy.  We all receive the same blessing.  This meal is both a reminder and an example of the justice we are to strive to create in this world.